The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-07-16

The description Of the charge of the
"Old First Of Richmond at Gettysburg
is taken from Sergeant Charles T. LOcbr's
History Of the First Virginia regiment. II
would have been published sooner but
was not available However, as il con
taine the names Of our Gown boys" it
will possess a mournful interest even at
this late date
THE BALL OPENED.
ON the morning Of the 2d July, our
division Picketts) started at ? O'Clock
on the Gettysburg road. We pushed on
as fast as possible, crossing the south
Mountain, and made about twenty-three
miles by o'clock pm, when we halied
about three miles from Gettysburg Inc
battle was i'm full progress when we ar
rived. and the men were all anxious to
90 I'm but word came we were not needed
then A little before daybreak the morn
ING of the 3d, we moved to he right and
were placed i'm line Of battle in rear of
Cemetery Ridge.
About o'clock pm. our artillery com
mencod the "ball, the whole line firing
at once. A few minutes elapsed, and the
ierv messengers of the enemy made their
appearance in return Thunder answer
ed thunder, and thevery ground appeared
to tremble. Three hundred cannon were
doing their best 10 match the very cle
menjs of heaven. Fifteen men of my
company {" ID ~ were now detailed as
skirmishers and crawled to the top of
the hill meanwhile the shells fell thick.
& d q
suffered severely. After the artillery
duel had lasted about two hours we were
ordered to charge. The line of skirmish-
ers advanced, and the line of battle fol-
lowed about 200 yards i'm the rear I'm
front of the encmy's position was deep
rayinc. through which our line could not
well charge they had, therefore, to go
TO the left and left Ohlique. was the
command given 10 the main line while
the skirmishcrs advanced to the
edge of lhc rayinc All during this time
the line was exposed 10 a terrible fire, but
the line would close up as the men fell
Forward we swept on until the first line
was taken The guns are ours, over 500
prisoners are taken but the fire does
not slackcn, and our men are getting
fewer and fewer. The reinforcement has
not dared 90 enter this death-trap, and
"Pickeu's Division or all that was left
of 10. being about one tenth, slowly re-
tires t0 the point from whence il issued,
't0 DO or die The sKifmishcrs were
also preparing TO retire, when Wilcox
brigade which had remained i'm reserve
up to this time near the place from where
we started came rushing down among
our skirmish line b lg, however un-
able TO- accomplish anything, and sub.
icctCd 20 the cnemys fire, now
on them, they soon
retired. mingling with our skirmishcrs,
and thcawful list of casualties was further
still increased by this movement. Thirteen
colors are lying among the dead ana
dying ours among them. The color
guard is dead and the color sergeant has
lost his arm; our colonel lay dying ON
.hc field: twenty three men are killed
from the regiment, and nearly one hun |
lrod more are left ON the field wounded .
and missing The regiment lost about /
lne hundred and twenty men out of
about one hundred and sixty who went
into that charge.
THE CASUALTIES.
Field and staff Killed Colonel /. B. /
Williams Wounded Major +. II. Lang /
lev. Sergeant Major j. H. POlack Color .
sergeant William W. Lawson.
Company B.-Killcd Private Fendal T.
Franklin Wounded Captain +. II. /
Davis Lieutenant j. A. Payne, Cor /
loral W. j. Carter Privatcs George r. /
Heath. James Stagg,* Joseph Daniel, /
H. J.. speckard, r. H. Street W. j. Nal /
ory.*
Company C.-Killed Captain James
.lalloran Wounded Lieutenent John /
T. Do0ley.f
Company D-Killed. Priyates Willie /
ID. s. Edwards, NJ. j. Wingfeld /
j. w Freeman Wounded Captain g. /
F. Norton Lieutenants +. p Reeve, W I
II. kciningham, and A. Blair; Sergeant /
J VI. Finn Corporal c. f. Craig. Pri- /
rates j. b. Angle, W. j. Armstrong, j. /
F. Whceley, @. w. Johnson, e j. c. Klein /
ngham. 4. 5. Morton, f. Priddy. 5. l., /
l.. X. Wingfeld.* c. NJ. Sub 7
EFT. Prisoners Sergeant j. ii. Kepler, /.
Private y. W. B0we.
Company G.-Killed Private William /
r. Miller. Wounded Captain +. Nor /
is Lieutenant W. T. Woody, Sergeant /
Thomas w. Hay Corporal John Allen |
'ryates Thomas II. Durham James .
'arrar, II. c. Fergussson,f c., W. Gentry, /
3 IL. lIord,* W. T. Kendrick G. A. Red /
ord, r. :. Rogers \. jeff Vaughan,
Robert II. Walthall. Prisoners Sergeant
ieorge W Ball, Priyates b. f. Ashby, \.
laskins.
Company H.-Killed Sergeant c. p.
lansford Corporal Richard Chaddick,
'riyates W j. Vaughan, Flowers, Muck
Dis, ST. Clair, j. W. Pane, NJ. Brestrahan,
" 5. Waddell. Wounded Captain A.
]. Watkins, Lieutenants +. W. Martin,
:. {. Cabell, Sergeants T. T.. Martin.
& H. Norycll, Priyates W. Is. Mosby,*
!. II. Daniel, w H. Denerson,* W. II.
anderson, Sol Banks II. + Dignum,*
T. Farson,@ l.. Fizer* W. Il. Knby,f
Thomas Mauring, J.J. Sinnott. F. Smith.
". c. Ilite* Prisoners: Priyates Mat.
lloyd, Robert Lloyd.
Company Killed Lieutenant W.
!. Caho. Corporal l.. O. EIett. Priyates
J. j. Griffin, Edwin Taliaferro, II. Nc
.aughan. Wounded Sergeant W f.
'.rr,, Corporq1e 4 l. Parker / II i